|
|
Israeli League, Regular Season, Game 22: April 21-22, 2008
|
Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv suffered its sixth loss in the Israeli Basketball League on Monday night with a 101-99 road defeat against Hapoel Holon. Maccabi dropped to 16-6, but remained in first place thanks to a surprising home loss by Bnei Hasharon and a disciplinary ruling from earlier this season that had deducted a point from Holon’s (16-6) record. Maccabi has had trouble with the two teams that trail it directly in the standings. In six encounters this season with Holon and Bnei Hasharon, the champs lost five and their single win, against Holon at home, was by a single point. Yotam Halperin missed a crucial three-pointer that could have tied the score with less than 10 seconds on the clock, which allowed Holon to take a 4-point lead and secure the win, before Maccabi scored the last basket. P.J. Tucker scored 23 for Holon including most of the key points down the stretch. Terence Morris was unstoppable with 29 points in 12 of 16 fshooting in addition to 10 rebounds and 3 assists in a losing effort. The battle for the fourth ticket to the Israel League final four also heated up as Ironi Ramat Gan, Ironi Nahariya and Elitzur Ashkelon all won. On Tuesday, Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem suffered its fifth loss in a row, 75-82, at home to the last place team in the standings, Maccabi Rishon Lezion. Hapoel dropped to 10-12 and sits in seventh place, but is just one win away from fourth place, which leads to the Israeli final four. Rishon rose to 6-16 and stands just one win behind Gilboa/Afula and the ninth spot that is worth another season in the league. Raman Gan, shocked Bnei Hasharon on the road 75-80 behind 30 points from Ori Itchaki. Jason Williams scored 23 in defeat for third place Bnei Hasharon. Nahariya beat Gilboa/Afula 84-80 at home behind 21 points by Ashante Johnson, and will host Maccabi in the next game before the league leaders will take off to Madrid for the Euroleague Final Four. Ashkelon ended Galil Elyon’s three-game winning run with an 83-87 road win behind 35 points by Steve Burtt.
The main event was at Holon where Maccabi once again couldn't find the answer to the newcomer, who beat them 101-99. Coach Zvi Sherf chose not to use tonight Nikola Vujcic, Tal Burstein or Lior Eliyahu at all, while Derrick Sharp played just a single minute and Alex Garcia only four. The rest of the squad gave whatever it had against a super-athletic Holon team, pushed by a mass of fanatic fans. Maccabi took an early 2-7 lead, but Holon was quickly back and the first quarter saw Maccabi lead 28-29. The offensive style continued into the second quarter, when Esteban Batista collected 4 quick points and David Bluthenthal hit from long range, but the narrow margin remained at halftime, 54-55. Omri Casspi led Maccabi to an 8-point lead, but Eric Campbell with a dunk and Amit Tamir with a triple made it just 73-75 after 30 minutes. Tamir added 5 more early in the fourth to put Holon up by 3, but Morris hit back-to-back threes and kept his team alive. Halperin hit 2 from the line to set the score at 92-93, but P.J. Tucker with big plays and 6 points made it a 4-point game for Holon. Morris nailed another three, but once again Tucker was there to slash to the rim and finish well, 100-97 with 24 seconds on the clock. Next he blocked a Will Bynum attempt and after Halperin missed a desperate three, Holon added a point from the line that secured the win. Tucker scored 23 for Holon including most of the key points down the stretch. Elton Brown and Amit Tamir added 11 each and Chris Watson 10. Morris was unstoppable with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Batista posted 18 points and 11 rebounds, Casspi scored 17, Halperin 12 and Bluthenthal 11.
On Tuesday, Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem suffered its fifth loss in a row, 75-82, at home to the last place team in the standings, Maccabi Rishon Lezion. The visitors snapped a six-game losing streak in what could have been their last chance to save their season, and avenged their last loss against Jerusalem when Hapoel beat them on the road behind a buzzer-beater by Guy Pniny. Omar Sneed had a big game with 19 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists for Rishon, Brandon Kurtz added 17 points, Oded Sha'ashoua scored 15 including the key shot of the game and Cedric Banks finished with 12. Jaime Arnold led Hapoel with 27 points and 13 rebounds while Pniny hit 18. Ramel Cury and Pniny hit from long range to give Hapoel a 16-11 lead, but Rishon came back to finish the first quarter equal at 20-20. Rishon's Kurtz found his pace and after his teammates connected twice from long range and Hapoel's defense stayed too soft, Rishon went to halftime with a 33-46 lead. Hapoel came back with more intensity on defense, limiting the visitors to 12 points in the third quarter, and despite Pniny and Erez Markovic picking up four fouls, Hapoel entered the last quarter down 58-51. Rishon climbed back to a 13-point difference, 53-66, but Hapoel showed they still have the strength to fight. From a 62-74 advantage with 4:17 on the clock Rishon saw Hapoel wake up with a 9-0 run in less than 90 seconds. Arnold made it just a 1-point game with a minute to play and Rishon connected just one from the line, before Yehu Orland missed a crucial three pointer that could have turned the game around. At the other end it was Sha'ashoua who hit a long-range jumper to settle the game.
LAST GAME GAME 22
April 21-22, 2008 | | Day | Match | Result | | Apr. 21 | B. Hasharon vs. Ramat Gan | 75-80 | | Apr. 21 | H. Holon vs. Maccabi Elite | 101-99 | | Apr. 22 | Hapoel Jer. vs. Rishon | 75-82 | | Apr. 21 | Nahariya vs. Gilboa/Afula | 84-80 | | Apr. 21 | Galil Elion vs. Ashkelon | 83-87 |
| | |
NEXT GAME GAME 23
April 27, 2008 | | Day | Match | | Apr. 27 | H. Holon vs. Ramat Gan | | Apr. 27 | Hapoel Jer. vs. Hasharon | | Apr. 27 | Nahariya vs. Maccabi Elite | | Apr. 27 | Galil Elion vs. Rishon | | Apr. 27 | Ashkelon vs. Gilboa/Afula |
|
| STANDINGS | TG | W | L | P+ | P- | | 1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 22 | 16 | 6 | 2035 | 1819 | | 2 | H. Holon | 22 | 16 | 6 | 1869 | 1695 | | 3 | Bnei Hashron | 22 | 15 | 7 | 1752 | 1652 | | 4 | Nahariya | 22 | 11 | 11 | 1820 | 1822 | | 5 | Ashkelon | 22 | 11 | 11 | 1867 | 1961 | | 6 | Ramat Gan | 22 | 10 | 12 | 1930 | 1988 | | 7 | Hapoel Jerusalem | 22 | 10 | 12 | 1844 | 1855 | | 8 | Galil | 22 | 8 | 14 | 1870 | 2001 | | 9 | Gilboa/Afula | 22 | 7 | 15 | 1748 | 1849 | | 10 | M. Rishon | 22 | 6 | 16 | 1741 | 1834 |
|
|
|
Yarone Arbel, Tel Aviv
|
|
|
Euroleague / ULEB Cup teams
|
|
|
|
|